Arthur Fils withdraws from French Open with hip injury

PARIS – Arthur Fils, France’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, withdrew from the French Open on Saturday, the eve of the tournament, citing a lingering hip injury. The 21-year-old world No. 19 was scheduled to face former champion Stan Wawrinka in a first-round match on Monday.

Fils announced his decision after a practice session on the main Philippe Chatrier court and an ensuing press conference. He explained that the injury originated during the Italian Open earlier this month, where he retired from his opening match after just 22 minutes. While medical exams did not reveal a serious issue, persistent pain prevented him from practicing for the subsequent two weeks.

"I will not be fit 100 percent to play the tournament, and I will not take any risk like I did last year," Fils said. "I don't want to be stupid." He added that he currently feels he is not even at 50 percent of his normal physical condition.

The withdrawal marks a second consecutive year of injury disruption at Roland Garros for the young French star. Last year, after a dramatic five-set victory over Jaume Munar in the second round, Fils suffered a stress fracture in his back and withdrew before his third-round...